A New Journey
by northern.grunge
Summary: The Doctor and Rose travel in a parallel TARDIS through the parallel world, finding spectacular differences and beautiful often dangerous similarities. What if Journey's End was just the beginning of a New Journey... Slight 10/Rose.
1. A Parallel Life

**Author's Note:** Starts just after the Doctor and Donna leave Rose and Doctor 10.5 on Bad Wolf Bay… but the Doctor is a tricky guy… things aren't always as they seem.

(I'm continuing this! :D It's going to be set as Doctor Who: Series 5… episode two is up, it's called "In Their Wake" and episode 3 "The Shadows" is already done ^.^ I'm going to try to keep them to 2-4 parts (chapters) each. Please enjoy!!)

**Disclaimer:** I (unfortunately) do not own Doctor Who or anything having to do with it… not sure who does really, RTD? RGB? (No wait.... RGB owns the colour spectrum) Ah! I know... David Tennant :) He'd be a lovely owner!

* * *

**Doctor Who: A Parallel Life**

_Part 1_

* * *

Rose broke off the kiss just in time to watch the police public call box fade from sight. The last pulse of its ancient engine felt like waking up from an incredible dream. He had left her, again. The hand that grasped hers felt the same, the face she stared into seconds later looked the same… but he wasn't _her_ Doctor.

His chocolate eyes were warm and happy, a strange contrast to hers which were glossy with tears of hopelessness. She bit her lip,

"Is it… you? I mean really you? Like you regenerated or something?" Her voice cracked on some of the words, but she had to know. He smiled widely, an almost manic shimmer in his eyes.

"Oh it's better than that!" He brought her hand up to where a human would have their single heart and she felt the expected beats. Then slowly he moved her hand over to the opposite side… two heartbeats. His smile grew and her eyes almost brightened.

"My Doctor?" She asked, incredulous.

"Hello" He laughed lightly then picked her up in a tight hug and twirled her around.

"That's impossible though, I saw you the whole time in the TARDIS… how?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "I keep telling you lot, unlikely, not impossible! But you know what the most unlikely thing about this is?"

Rose grinned from ear to ear "What?"

He looked off to the sky over the water of Bad Wolf bay, a place which had held so much sorrow for the pair only a few years ago. It now marked the beginning of a whole new journey. A brilliant smile decorated the Time Lord's features all through what he had to say.

"903 years traveling through time and space and I'm going to spend the rest of my life on a completely different parallel universe! The only home I've ever needed is hurtling back to another dimension. I'm going to spend the rest of your life with you, and you Rose Tyler, you're going to spend the rest of it with me right?" He was looking at her again. The sinking sun made his eyes glow amber as he waited for her answer, the last hint of his silly smile still lingered.

"When I said forever, I meant it." Rose said quietly as she, without thinking, began to straighten his lapel. "But what about you? You can't stay here once I'm gone, and then there's the other you! He's going to die and there won't be anyone to save that universe. You must be mad!" The Doctor grew serious now,

"Of course I'm mad… but I couldn't stand leaving you here again. Someday you'll be gone, and I'll have to continue on alone as always, but that just makes our time now even more important. The universe can find a new hero… the Doctor's retired." He forced his mouth into a smile but Rose knew him too well to believe it. He would miss it; the running, the sonic-screwdriver, the TARDIS... the hopping. He was giving an eternity of that up for her. She couldn't understand it. After all those years was she really more important to him than his TARDIS?

With a sudden brilliant smile Rose remembered something. Perhaps the Doctor hadn't given up time and space travel after all.

"Pete's World could always use a hero… or two. Knowing you we'll be in trouble by tea time tomorrow."

"Parallel tea time, just like the British." He ran a hand through his gelled hair. The wind was making it even messier than usual so he tried to tame it.

"That's not the only parallel thing. Allons-y" She winked and strolled over to Jackie who was waiting on some rocks, respecting their privacy while calling Pete to pick them up.

"Oh now come on! You can't just steal my word like that," He said in a playful tone, and followed off after her, "and if you do at least say it right! Allons-y!" The Doctor, of course, said it much better.

"Mum!" Rose called out to Jackie who had just pocketed her mobile and was drawing in the wet sand. She looked up and brightened to see the New Doctor and Rose getting along. Jackie stood, brushing sand off her pants and walked up to the couple. "Mum, it's him, the real him." Jackie looked the Doctor up and down, unconvinced.

"You mean like?" She stopped short and Rose nodded enthusiastically. Jackie unexpectedly jumped on the Time Lord, hugging and kissing him all over talking in between.

"Ah! It's you! I knew you couldn't leave us, I knew it all along!" The Doctor shot a glare at Rose.

"Mum, mum, that's enough."

"Oh yes of course" Jackie backed off, patting down her jacket and smoothing her hair. The Doctor sighed

"It's good to see you too"

"Rose! Did you tell him?" Jackie turned her attention quickly to Rose.

"Not yet mum," she whispered with a wink.

"What is this, a Tyler family secret?" The Doctor said

"Oh you'll see soon enough. Pete'll be here in a tick." Jackie replied, the Doctor was getting slightly impatient.

"What? I thought you lived hundreds of miles away."

"We did, but after you showed up here all of us packed up and moved to a house near by, just in case. Good thing too, I'm starved." Jackie said.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor's smile hid any amount of loss he was feeling for his former life. 900+ years would make anyone an expert on hiding things.

* * *

The Doctor and Rose sat in the back of Pete's truck, while Jackie rode in front. Rose was glad the ride was short, she was about to tell the Doctor any second what she had waiting for him. The truck rolled to a stop in front of a large house. All four got out quickly, the Doctor curiously scanning the building. He leaned over to Rose who had settled next to him.

"We're going to need a flat of our own." He whispered without looking away.

Rose giggled, "Something with a larger wardrobe maybe?" The Doctor winced

"Oh that's right… I'll need to buy clothes. Where can I get those?"

"I mean a pre-stocked wardrobe." Rose smiled slyly at him.

"Pre-stocked? Why would someone sell a flat with a pre-stocked wardrobe?" He looked at her now, very interested.

"Why would someone carry around a 'sonic screwdriver' and a banana instead of a useful weapon?" With that she pivoted and walked around the back of the house, hesitantly he followed. He rounded a corner and then another. They stood in front of a white metal garage door in the back of the house.

"If you think I'm living in a garage think again Miss Tyler, and you should know by now that my sonic screwdriver…." He was about to continue when she flung open the door to reveal a familiar blue box. The Doctor could've sworn his hearts stopped beating for a moment.

"What?" He was incredulous,

"What?!" He was overjoyed,

"How?" He asked, only able to get out one word sentences and itching to look inside, doubting that it was his TARDIS.

"Even in Pete's World a parallel you dashed around in a blue police box. Strange coincidence, that you and your parallel you were so much alike, even down to the fondness for the police box shape." She sighed deeply "Except, parallel you is dead." At those words the Doctor lost a little interest in the TARDIS. He arched his eyebrows and turned to Rose.

"How did it happen?"

"Torchwood claims to the press that you died peacefully of old age. That you had run out of regenerations. According to Torchwood you can only regenerate twelve times."

"I never thought you'd need to know that though."

"But Mickey and I found your TARDIS, well not yours, this one, the parallel one… anyway it was just sitting in an ally, we went in, hoping to find you, parallel you of course, not you you. Blimey this stuff gets confusing." She paused

"Ah, to you I suppose. Any way go on then, what about parallel me?"

"There we found the other you, slumped over the control panels, dead. The TARDIS seemed so cold and dark. I used your sonic screwdriver to find a rift and we dragged her over to charge up." Rose grabbed a sonic screwdriver, identical to the Doctor's, from a nearby tool table and held it up. "I never realized how many settings there were. Took days to find the right one."

"Well, looks like you haven't gotten to setting number 943…" the Doctor added

"Why what's that?" Rose began twisting the dials on the screwdriver but the Doctor quickly snatched it from her hands and pocketed it.

"Ah, you really don't want to know. So, back to me… how exactly did I die?"

"There was tea spilled all over the consel so we took a bit back to the Torchwood lab and tested it for poison. No poison, just aspirin."

"Oh, so I really am allergic to that. Strange…" he pondered for a moment. "and parallel me… what did I look like?"

"You, he looked just like you… you must've regenerated at the same times too. Weren't you saying something about parallel worlds being made off of different decisions? How is it possible that there's a parallel you that's exactly the same?"

"Almost every choice I've made was the one I had to make… no other way out. Apparently though I wasn't the best at choosing companions. Even though most of my choices in this parallel world were the same there were obviously some minutely different ones that created it." He paused for a second to think, "Please tell me you cleaned up the tea."

"Every bit of it. After Micky and I charged it we brought it back here, and had a proper ceremony, strange to go to the funeral of someone who's still technically alive."

"I know the feeling…" With that he walked into the TARDIS. Rose cautiously followed him inside. The Doctor looked around for only a moment before turning to Rose and beaming at her,

"Rose Tyler. I am going to kiss you, come here!" He held her head in his hands, it was the first romantic kiss they had ever shared, and Rose loved every second of it. Behind them the TARDIS flickered into life. It lit up the control room and began playing soft background music, slightly alarmed at this the Doctor backed away.

"What's this buddy?" He said, looking around and tapping the consel. Rose stood close next to him.

"Oh I forgot to mention, the parallel TARDIS is a little more telepathic than yours. It's also a bit sappier than your TARDIS, but I'm sure you'll grow to love it just the same." The Doctor felt around the bottom of the consel and pulled a lever underneath it; the lever groaned and moved stiffly but once he got it switched the music and lights stopped.

"It wasn't the TARDIS that was being sappy, it was parallel me. I hate that switch. There she is though, back to normal." He ran a hand along the centre column lovingly.

"Oh lovely, now I have competition" Rose rolled her eyes and sat back in the closest foam chair. The Doctor quickly turned away from the TARDIS and sat next to her.

"Never." He smiled at her. "So what do you think? Just like old times, chasing about through time and space, or we could settle down... it's your call."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So after this I'm going to have some short epiode-like chapters, hopefully I can build like they do in the series, starting with some lighter plots and then growing to an epic ending... we shall see though ^.^ Thanks so much for reading! Reviews are loved! 3 3 (Two hearts mean twice the love ;D)


	2. In Their Wake 1

**Disclaimer: **I'm too good to own Doctor Who! I own more important things… like… yellow nail polish. So no, I do not, have not, and will never own Doctor Who. So don't yell at me, please? I don't like being yelled at :`(

* * *

**Doctor Who: In Their Wake**

_Part 1_

"_So what do you think? Just like old times, chasing about through time and space, or we could settle down... it's your call."_

"I thought you didn't do 'domestic'?" Rose replied cheerfully. The Doctor gritted his teeth at the thought of being a domestic, he replied with a slightly less-than-genuine smile.

"Well… I could make an exception, that is, if you really had your heart set on a… white… picket…. fence" he said melodramatically, as if each of those three words were hot embers that could burn a whole through his tongue. Smiling in spite of herself Rose elbowed him in the ribs.

"Of course not you git! I just have to pack, come inside?" She wouldn't take no for an answer so the Doctor nodded and followed her out the TARDIS doors. He took one quick look back at the machine he thought he'd lost forever; life would be back to normal again.

Rose and the Doctor went in through the garage door and were quickly met by Jackie.

"Oh, you've seen it then!" She said with a bright smile. "I'm not sure how they convinced me to let it stay in the garage… but there she was waiting all this time. Just a little too perfect don't you think?"

"It's brilliant! Jackie, thanks for keeping her." The Time Lord pulled her into a quick hug. "We were just going to get some of Rose's stuff packed up and then we're off! New world, new adventures eh?" The Doctor smiled brightly

"You be careful now. We didn't get you back just for you to go off and get yourself killed, and before you go come have some lunch, fish-and-chips!" Before they could protest Jackie had both of them around the shoulders (It was a slightly awkward position, the Doctor was much taller than her) and was leading them off to the kitchen.

_____________

An hour later Rose and the Doctor had made it back to the TARDIS, stuffed with fish-and-chips and ready to get going. Rose was relieved that Tony was at day-care, she didn't want the Doctor meeting her crazy little brother just yet.

Tony was full of spunk, bouncing straight off the walls. She knew he'd have fun in the TARDIS some day. Someday… in the future. A disturbing thought hit Rose then. The future. Sure, she had seen it a hundred times, she knew how the earth ended, how a new one began, what the "last human" looked like.

What she didn't know was what would become of her. It was an inevitable fact that one day she would grow old. Of course this wouldn't just be one day, she would slowly start to loose speed and begin to loose looks until everything just failed, but all she could picture was a 70 year old woman looking back at her from her mirror in the TARIDS bedroom. Then the Doctor, alone again, forever. Could she keep up this charade for her entire life? A blank stare had overcome her features before she realized it. The Doctor had to shake her shoulders to get her to snap out of it.

"Rose, is everything alright?" He asked, scrutinizing her.

"Yeah…. yeah I'm fine." She shook him off, still a little distracted. He looked at her with such a pity that for a moment she thought he was reading her mind. "I'm alright, let's go" She tried to smile at him.

He was on the verge of telling her she was not alright and getting some answers from her, but he decided against it. He had a feeling that she wouldn't want him to know just now. So instead of pressing the point he smiled and sat down next to her.

"Good then, where to now? Pick a letter, any letter." She was taken aback by this request. After a moments hesitation she knew which one.

"K, that's a good one to start with, yeah?" The Doctor's grin grew

"Fantastic! I know just the place then." He whipped out of the grungy foam chair and fiddled with the controls, his fingers doing a blinding dance with the consel. Rose watched him with a renewed interest. She had almost forgotten how much she missed this.

With an extravagant flourish he turned around to face her. "Kloritoran, a world underwater. Well, it was underwater last I knew, still is most likely, apparently this parallel world isn't too different from ours." He sidestepped to the monitor and quickly scanned the Gallifreyian text that had appeared there.

"Yep! Just as I thought, still completely submerged in water. The entire planet is flat and only about 10 miles by 10 miles. Flat, because there's hardly any gravity to keep the water there." He was talking a million miles a minute, "They built an underwater city, like a network, with false gravity. The history is even fundamentally the same. In the 1700s the merpeople began construction on…" but Rose had come up behind him and twined her arms around his neck,

"Is this a history lesson or are you actually going to take us then?" Without moving from the monitor the Time Lord glanced at her.

"History is a very important thing when you go to another planet! I could land us right in the middle of the Great Tuna War of 1967! If I don't know something about their history we could be picking tuna scales out of our hair for months."

"Well then it's a good thing I brought tweezers. Come on, I haven't been exploring for years! I promise I won't complain if we get caught in the middle of a tuna war." She said with a pouting face.

"Alright, fine" he whined with a mock pained expression that Rose knew so well but hardly ever had the pleasure of causing. Then quick as a whip he was back to his silly smile. He jovially pulled up on lever and the TARIDS jolted, bringing her passengers to the ground.

* * *

After mere moments the TARDIS landed, even with the unexpected jolt at the start of the journey the ride was calmer than that of the parallel TARDIS. The Time Lord jumped to his feet and extended a hand to his slightly dazed companion.

"She's a little rough around the edges yeah?" Rose asked as she got up, rubbing her head where it had bumped the coral support.

"Just a little under-used, needed to warm up a bit. How long did she sit in your garage?" He asked as he snatched his coat from the back of the foam chair and shrugged it on.

"Oh, a year… two years…" Rose replied, almost sheepishly.

"Two years!? She sat all cold and dark in your garage for two years… well it's no wonder then." He rubbed the side of the counsel lovingly "Oh well, you ready?" He smiled and held out his hand for her to take. She laced her fingers with his, they were longer and softer than they had been when she first met him, but they held her hand in just the same way.

"Always!" The Doctor practically bounded to the doors, stepping back and allowing Rose to be the first to see the strange planet. She paused in front of the open door; a wall of deep blue water was all she could see. Rose tried to look around the corner of the TARDIS but they were smashed up against a thick glass barricade. "Uh Doctor, I think you need to work on your parking skills."

"What do you mean? My parking skills are just fine."

"Come here" He looked around the door, seeing the problem.

"Oi, alright shut the door then." He went back to the controls to turn them around but Rose grabbed his sleeve. She stared out into the water just beyond the glass wall and he followed her gaze. A dark shape was swimming towards them. It got closer, Rose could make out two arms with webbed fingers, a fish-like tail, and a fin that ran from the crown of its head to the small of the back.

"Is that an actual mermaid?" She asked, still not looking away.

"Well that's sexist." He said, acting taken aback, "Of course it's not a 'mermaid' it's a merperson! If we're going to be visiting other species at least learn to be politically correct." At that she turned to look at him.

"Mer_person_ doesn't have as nice a ring to it." She mumbled. He pretended not to hear.

"Shut the door now, unless you want to be sucked out by the vortex. Doesn't bother me… though the draft is rather unpleasant." She quickly closed the wooden door as he re-arranged the TARDIS. This time the entire ride was so smooth she could stay standing, she once again opened the door and found a much better view. She stepped out slowly, looking around. The Doctor came up behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist and curiously taking in their new surroundings.

"Oh I could never tire of this!" She said, mostly to herself. The Doctor stole a glance at her, smiling even more to see the look on her face. She made him feel like he was 100 again, and he decided he quite liked that.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Tada! And just like that, Rose and the Doctor are bound for another life-and-death situation ^.^ Please press the beautiful green button and write an even prettier reply :)

* * *


	3. In Their Wake 2

**Disclaimer: **Tunacicles… mine. Doctor Who… not mine. :( I'd take the Doctor over tunacicles any day.

**Author's Note:** It's all fun and games until someone turns the gravity off…

* * *

**Doctor Who: In Their Wake**

_Part 2_

_She stepped out slowly, looking around. The Doctor came up behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist and curiously taking in their new surroundings._

"_Oh I could never tire of this!" She said, mostly to herself. The Doctor stole a glance at her, smiling even more to see the look on her face. She made him feel like he was 100 again, and he decided he quite liked that._

_

* * *

_

The city stretched so far out before them that Rose doubted that it was only 10 miles long. Bright white lights illuminated the concrete floors and glistened off of the glass walls. A faint glow peeked through the top of the surrounding water; the planet must have had at least one sun. Farther on Rose could see vendors, their shops curved up with the wall.

The ocean around them was beautiful, but the most eye-catching things in this corridor where three foot tall blue-green merpeople. Unlike the one she had seen before, these had proper legs, but still the same long fin down their backs and webbed fingers. Upon closer inspection she noticed round goggle-like eyes with clear lids and tiny iridescent scales that gave their green skin a blue sheen.

Rose looked up at the Doctor, only now realizing that he had been looking at her.

"Are they friendly?" She asked timidly.

"Ah of course! In fact, we should be in the year 50,004, which means… we're not the only carbon based humanoid life forms down here. In the 50,000s a group of people from earth found there way to Kloritoran and made some friends. A few stayed as explorers, right now they're living somewhere around here as honored guests. Unfortunately, they had quite an influence on the Kloritorans, now instead of bartering they use credits and have banks and tourist shops and fancy restaurants. There's only about 20 of them, but you didn't come here to meet humans, let's get to know the locals!"

Rose grinned, it was like they'd never been apart. She followed the Time Lord to a machine that looked strangely similar to an earth ATM. The securely locked ATM never stood a chance against the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. He figured 100,000 credits would be enough for souvenirs. Rose pocketed the money and the headed off to the first vendor. Conveniently, they had parked the TARIDS in an official visitor's zone. Kloritoran had, indeed, become a tourist's attraction.

"Oh look, it's an Ood!" The Doctor motioned towards a familiar looking creature, though instead of a translating ball this one seemed to be holding a brain. "I suppose in this universe the Ood can acquire passports and travel. How ood…" Rose rolled her eyes at him.

"I thought the Ood were born to serve." She said

"Oh no, bred to serve more like it. In fact, Ood here probably never worked a day in their life. Sweet things, wonderful singers. Would you like to hear?" Rose didn't quite understand what he meant. She heard singing; it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, like a million voices coming from one.

"I can hear it, it's fantastic! Can't everyone else?" She asked, wondering if the TARDIS had possibly heightened her hearing. The Doctor gave her an ood look but quickly brushed it off.

"Of course they can, never mind… hm, care for a tunasicle?" He smiled and walked to another vendor, advertising the world's greatest tunasicles… the Kloritorans must've had stock in the tuna business.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor sat on a bench made out of blue gel in a plastic casing. They sank comfortably into it as Rose tried to finally take a bite of her tunasicle.

"I can't, I just can't do it… it smells like fish." She said and tossed the un-touched treat into a waste bin.

"It's not that bad… once you get past the fishiness it's rather good." He said, and just out of spite he licked it once more. He couldn't stomach it though, spite wasn't a dish best served cold.

"Rose, do you see that crack up there?" The Doctor got her attention off of the strange Kloritoran delicacy and pointed her in the direction.

"Is someone going to fill it in?" She asked, picturing a merperson on a high ladder mending the crack.

"Well that's the thing, this is self-healing glass. It should've mended itself already." He said, a worried look on his face.

"How does it heal itself?"

"Tiny glass veins running through the entire structure. They're connected to a pump that shoots liquid glass through every bit of the wall all the time. The locals call it the heart of the city. It should've filled in the crack but it hasn't."

With a sigh Rose looked at her watch.

"Oh, only a few minutes to tea time. What'd I tell ya? We'd be in trouble before tea time!" She smiled, but it faded quickly. The Time Lord was getting up.

"Come one, we're going to find out what's going on." He took her hand and they ran down the street into the main area.

The network was built from a single lobby with ten branches stretching out across the ocean floor. The heart of the city was located just underneath the center lobby, under ground. That was where they were headed.

"It's only a tiny crack, I'm sure they'll have it fixed soon." Rose said. It seemed like the Doctor was looking for trouble instead of it finding him for once.

"Not in 50,000, things don't just fail to work in the 50,000s." The pair ran past street vendors trying to sell them fine Kloritoran pearls and merpeople playing strange shell and glass instruments and asking for money. Finally they reached the end of the long corridor. Once they were safely in the lobby they turned around to watch what would happen.

"How can we be safer here than in there?" Rose asked

"Iron gates…" was all he said, he was too focused on the crack to explain it. So they stood, hand in hand while the Doctor surveyed the area. Without any further warning the crack burst open, letting a flood of water come in and wipe out a line of street vendors. The Doctor quickly ran to a red button on the wall and pressed it, shutting off the corridor with an iron door. "Safety feature. Automatic, but we didn't have the time to wait for it. Alons-y!" His converse scuffed the now tiled floor beneath him.

Rose caught up to the Doctor in front of a stair well, he flashed the physic paper at an un-armed guard and headed down the stairs, followed closely by a worried Rose.

"Those merpeople, are they all dead?" She asked, surprised that he would leave it like that "And the TARDIS?"

"They can breathe underwater, they'll be fine. The TARDIS is virtually indestructible and watertight when the shields are up. We'll find a way of getting to it. Don't worry."

"What about that Ood?" Rose asked, grabbing him by the hand and making him stop for a moment. His breath caught.

"Oh I hadn't thought about him… I'm so sorry… there was nothing that could've been done." Rose bit down on the inside of her cheek and shook her head.

"I know" She said "so let's see what we can do for everyone else yeah?" She started down the stairs, still holding his hand. There was no time to grieve over the Ood. He'd have to find a way of jump-starting the heart, and that would take all his concentration.

The bottom floor was concrete; it had the same shape as the first corridor but was a little smaller. At one end was an iron door, just like the one that he had recently closed off, and at the other the stairway that led to the lobby. A frosted glass door locked the stairway from the public's sight. Once they got down the flight of steps they ran towards the door but never reached it, their feet began to lift off of the floor as if gravity itself had let them slip through its fingers.

"Perfect, the artificial gravity's been shut down." They both hit the roof, trying hard to keep from hitting their heads. The Doctor's coat was floating up, making it hard for him to see anything. In frustration he took it off and tossed it aside. They grabbed onto the piping that brought water and electricity into the city and pulled themselves along.

"The gravity is supposed to all be pulled from the outside into the network, making the water almost weightless. That's what keeps it from crushing the glass. If the gravity in here is gone that mean's it's now out there, which in turn means that we have very little time to reverse this before the whole structure succumbs to the pressure of the water. No worries though, just a flip of a switch once we're in the control room and it'll be back to normal." The Doctor was thinking out loud again, so focused on the new obstacle that he forgot to ask…

"Are you alright?" The Doctor said, looking back at Rose. She was grinning as she pulled herself gracefully along the roof.

"Anti-gravity. Incredible!" She laughed a little. The Doctor tried to keep a serious "this is life-or-death" look about him, but hearing her laughing at the circumstances made him have to bite his lip until finally he started laughing as well, which in turn made her laugh even harder.

"You know you could get the same anti-gravity effect in the TARIDS right?" He asked, a silly grin replacing his focused look.

"Really? You'll have to show me sometime, it could get... interesting" Rose was beside him now, still making their way down the long corridor to the iron door.

"Oh, and this isn't interesting? Rose Tyler I think someone's getting spoiled!" He said jokingly.

"You've taken me to the 5 billions, war-time London, the end of the world, and countless other amazing places and you think I'm getting spoiled by floating around, weightless, in a concrete corridor?" She asked

"Well, I hate to admit it but you have a point there." Their chatting had taken them down to the iron blockade. The Time Lord was all business again. "If this is shut off it might mean…" he took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the seal. "the other side is flooded. That must be where the heart is."

"If we're underground how can it be flooded? Someone must've done something above ground to let the water in. Probably the same person who turned off the gravity." Rose suggested.

"And why would someone be flooding the networks? Merpeople can survive for years without breathing air or standing on the land, but humans… someone isn't being very hospitable to their new guests." He added, looking slightly ominous "Rose, I need to get in there and fix the pump so it can seal up the cracks before they reach the human's corridor."

"It's flooded how are you going to get in? Even you can't hold your breath that long." She said,

"I can try. At least I have a shot. You need to stay here, don't go above ground, the glass could shatter any moment, and don't try and follow me in, got it?" He said, an intense look in his eyes told her she wouldn't get anywhere.

"Doctor, what if you don't come back? What am I going to do?" She said, a hint of a catch in her throat. There was no way she was loosing him again.

"I will come back, I promise. There will be breathing room in there once I let a little water out and seal it up again." With that he opened the iron gate, letting in a flood of water that would've drowned them if they had been on the ground. With one last reassuring smile the Doctor pulled himself through to the other side and locked the door. All she could do was wait, and pray that he hadn't left her…again.

* * *

**Teaser!**

Once the Doctor got closer he could see a faint orange glow beneath the water in the center of the control room, that must be where the heart lay. It pulsed weakly like a failing ember.

* * *

**Author's Note: **A big hugemungus thank you to all my reviewers! Especially elvespiratesandcowboysohmy. If I had 50 credits, you bet your bum I'd buy you all your own personal Oods to feed, and love, and pet, and give you hugs on cold nights when all you can think about is the utter lack of love that was shone to you as a young child. Or is that just me? Haha! Just joshing ^.^ Hope you all enjoyed it and I hope you all review! (Or the Oods may just be infected with Red Eye 0.0) (Sorry, just watched Planet of Ood… I have oodles of oods on the brain :P)


	4. In Their Wake 3

**Disclaimer: **Many wonderful things are my ideas… sadly Doctor Who is not one of them. :(

**Author's Note: **Ok, so I can't WAIT to post episode 3 "The Shadows"!! I'm so excited about it :D You will see the return of the Vashta Nerada(I just hope I'm spelling that right :P), two new planets, an intergalactic jail, and a terrible death… yes, ominous! You may hate me after part one 0.0

This chapter is the last part of episode 2 "In Their Wake", hope you enjoy ^.^ (Oh and forgive me for the lack of dialog here, not much the Doctor would be saying to himself….)

* * *

**Doctor Who: In Their Wake**

_Part 2_

_With one last reassuring smile the Doctor pulled himself through to the other side and locked the door. All she could do was wait, and pray that he hadn't left her…again._

_

* * *

_

The Time Lord was able to easily float just above the water and pull himself along. In the distance he could see where the corridor opened into a huge room. The room was taller than the corridor, but still over half way filled with water, and it seemed to be rising quickly. Once the Doctor got closer he could see a faint orange glow beneath the water in the center of the control room, which was where the heart lay. It pulsed weakly like a failing ember. On either side there were 50 tiny wires that each branched out into 50 more and those to 50 more. It was an intricate system of millions of wires smaller in diameter than a human hair but much stronger. Though only the first 50 wires had been cut, it would still take ages to repair with the screwdriver.

The Doctor pulled the handy tool out with one hand and clenched it in his teeth. As he got even closer to the room he spotted a panel of switches, all labeled, one of them should turn the gravity back on. When he reached the room he had to hold on to the wires to keep from floating to the domed top. Looking up he found the source of the leak, a large crack in the smoothly arched glass roof of the control room. This meant that at least one other corridor was flooded.

He set to work, healing the wires one by one. He had 15 down when the water rose to meet him. His only hope was that one of the wires coming up soon would seal the crack in the domed roof. With every repair the heart glowed brighter, pulsing liquefied glass all around him. When he got to number 23 the water had just begun to cover the area where they had been cut. He could use the screwdriver underwater, but soon his arms wouldn't be long enough to fix them and keep his head above water.

At number 39 he tasted the salty water in his mouth. Only 11 more to go and none of them had sealed the dome yet. He took a deep breath and was able to seal off 3 wires before surfacing. Then another breath and 3 more down. With out any gravity it was getting harder to stay underwater. He took a couple deep breaths of the humid air and sealed off the rest. Triumphantly he got his head above the water level and watched as the leak slowly became smaller until there wasn't even a hint that a crack had been there.

With a renewed hope he pulled himself back along the wall to where he first spotted the switches. The heart lit up the entire room, casting a red glow through the water that made it look like he was swimming through blood. With the light from the pulsing heart of the city he was able to see the panel of levers. The Doctor got ready to go under, choosing the last switch to start with. In space ships the last switch was always the gravity switch.

He pulled himself under, holding on to the newly restored wires and making his way down. He reached the lever, smiling to see it marked "Gravitational Pull" He grabbed it and yanked it up as hard as he could. To his surprise it didn't budge. He tried again but to no avail. He was beginning to get light-headed from the lack of oxygen but he stayed under. He had to get the gravity switched on or fixing the wires would be useless, the water would crush the glass before the heart could heal it.

He took out the sonic screwdriver and worked on it, someone had locked it in place from the computer. Once he unlocked it the lever moved easily and returned gravity to its normal place. He swam up to get some air and rest for a moment. Then he swam slowly out the corridor. The iron gate still held.

"Rose! Can you hear me?" The Doctor called, she would be standing about three feet deep in water at the bottom of the corridor.

"Yes! Are you alright?" She yelled through the door, it was muffled but he could just make her out.

"Stand on the stairs, I'm opening the door!" He shouted as loud as he possibly could but heard no answer. He could only hope that she had heard him as he let the doors slide back and the water come crashing in. He held his breath and tried to ride it out, landing on one of the lower stairs he looked up to see Rose standing just above him. He smiled brightly

"I could really use a towel." Was the first thing he said. Rose laughed and sat down on the stairs. The water below them was churning angrily and splashing about, but it would soon settle. The Doctor sat up slowly. He took off his brown pin-striped suit jacket and rung it out. Rose handed him his ankle-length tan coat as he stood. "Oh good, you kept it dry." He hugged her tightly. She had only been wet halfway up her jeans until he hugged her, but she didn't care.

"Come on, let's go recover the TARDIS" He said, holding out a hand to her. He flipped some wet hair out of his face as they climbed the flight of stairs and got to the lobby. It was filled with merpeople, a handful of Ood, a few creatures Rose didn't recognize and a couple humans. Guards were trying to calm the crowds and tell them that it was safe to return to their corridors.

The hall that Rose and the Doctor had parked in was no longer blocked off. There was seaweed and sand strewn throughout it but the glass had repaired itself and the draining system had worked quickly to remove all of the water. Confusion fell heavily in the air, making the couple's escape easier. They slipped about the walls and into the corridor.

"Aw there she is then! Good as new, still standing." They both ran happily towards the blue police box. It stood as if nothing had ever happened.

"Where to now?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's about diner time. How about Tibet?" The Doctor opened the door for Rose and she went in, leaning against the railing.

"Tibet? What's in Tibet? Let's go somewhere outside of Earth." She was surprised by his choice.

"No, no, no, the _planet_ of Tibet. Tiny little thing in the Hexatagonal system. Terrific scenery."

Rose smiled as she looked at the Time Lord. He hung his coat on a coral and began setting things on the TARDIS. She closed the door and sat down in a foam chair. For the first time in years she felt like she was home.

* * *

**Teaser! **

Rose and the Doctor ran, hand in hand, towards the TARDIS. Something had gone very, very wrong.

***

"Well, by my reckoning we're not in Tibet." He said digging his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wood of the TARIDS. Rose stepped out and came beside him, gently grabbing his arm as she scanned the horizon.

***

"What is that?" Rose asked, pointing straight ahead.

"Vashta Nerada."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So do you like my little teaser? ^.^ Please R&R my beautiful readers**! **


	5. The Shadows 1

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Doctor Who Rose would still be in the series :P

**Author's Note:** Don't hate me :)

**

* * *

****Doctor Who: The Shadows **

_Part 1_

_

* * *

_

Rose and the Doctor ran, hand in hand, towards the TARDIS. Something had gone very, very wrong.

The Time Lord was aiming for Tibet, a small planet with fantastic scenic overlooks, mountain-like formations made out of solid gold, and the best restaurants in the solar system. So why had the TARDIS taken them to Chite?

The planet of Chite had no sun, three moons, and one thick ring. This single ring held intergalactic jail. Prisoners from all over the galaxy where contained on the ring of Chite. Most of the inmates were accused of multiple murders along with a few other felonies. They were sent there when they were deemed too dangerous or clever to be held in a local jail. Escape plans were useless there. There were no ships to steal because no one ever left.

The planet itself was cold and gray. It had light; it was basked in moonlight all day long. It also had long, soft grass and towering trees. No one lived there though; even a year without any sun would make someone go mad. The plants there were colorless; they used tiny bits of moon light to make food. The moons picked up light from the 2 suns of a neighboring planet, Tibet. Chite was said to be uninhabited, so that's what everyone believed.

* * *

The Doctor was the first one out of the TARDIS this time. He looked around warily at the moon-lit plains that surrounded him. The grass was gray and life-less, but soft to the touch. About a mile past the patch of grass they had landed on he spotted a line of tall, flourishing trees. Glancing up he saw 3 very large moons hovering overhead and knew in an instant. They had been side-tracked to Chite.

"Well, by my reckoning we're not in Tibet." He said digging his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wood of the TARIDS. Rose stepped out and came beside him, gently grabbing his arm as she scanned the horizon.

"Then where are we exactly?"

"Looks like Chite… no life forms have ever been reported on Chite. Well, not in the other Chite that is… there might be in this one. I know I set the controls right so someone must've really wanted us here, or else something. Maybe we got just a little too close and the graivtaional pull of this planet was stronger than that of Tibet... if I remember correctly Tibet's just a half a mile away." He stopped himself, Rose was staring at him. He was babling. "So what do ya' say? Have a look around? This is probably the first time anyone has seen this planet with their own eyes." Rose grinned, she loved being first. Letting go of him, she went ahead, towards the forest. The moon light was bright enough to see everything; it looked like blue sunlight filtering through the trees.

"Rose wait a moment, I said there _might_ not be anything here!" He said, jogging after Rose and taking out his sonic screwdriver. He scanned a few areas, there wasn't much around. A few organisms, mostly bugs. Then something else... "Rose, stop right there!" He said, she paused and turned around. "No! Don't move a muscle. Just... stay." He walked slowly over to her, replacing his screwdriver and taking a banana from his infinite pocket. He peeled it back and tossed it lightly in to the air just beyond Rose. In an instant the soft yellow banana became an empty peel.

"What is that?" Rose asked, pointing straight ahead.

"Vashta Nerada. Come here, they hide in the shadows. You can't see them but they're there." The Doctor held out a hand to Rose, coaxing her away from the deadly shadows.

"No, over there!" She pointed again at a dark figure, behind it two more appeared out of thin air… then four… then eight. They were multiplying every second, and quickly moving towards them. The Doctor looked back over his shoulder, the TARDIS wasn't far off, and if they ran they could easily make it back.

"Come on!" He yelled and grabbed her by the hand.

Four hundred feet to the TARIDS, they were closing in fast, but the army behind them was gaining speed. Three hundred and fifty feet, the Doctor stole a quick glance backwards. The forest line had disappeared, in its place an infantry. The creatures came out of the shadow of the trees and into moonlight, still growing in number. They had bodies like jet black lions but a torso, upper body, and head that looked fairly human. Once they were back in the TARDIS he could look them up, make sure they had been catalogged. Upon closer inspection he saw one more, very important thing. They were all armed with cross bows.

"Faster!" He said and they both tried to increase speed, Rose was finding it hard to run at all anymore.

"How are you not tired yet?" She said between breaths.

"Two hearts, helps a great deal when you're running." He gave her a wink and then focused back on the TARDIS, they were almost there.

Two hundred feet now, they were loosing speed and the wall of figures behind them was catching up. The freezing night air of Chite whisked past them so fast that they couldn't hear their attackers. One hundred feet, fifty, thirty. Only twenty feet away from safety now, but twenty was just too much. Rose felt a prod enter her back and continue through. With a sharp gasp she fell, loosing the Doctor's hand and calling out his name. The grass was soft and welcoming.

"Rose!" The Doctor spun around and fell on his knees beside her. She felt his hearts beating rapidly as he lifted her up and held her against him, finishing the final stretch. She vagely noticed her surronds change from the silver light of Chite into the warm glow of the TARDIS. Numbness surrounded her and she felt disconnected from the world. The last she could focus on was the Doctor's face. He was looking down at her with an expression she hadn't seen before and… where those tears?

* * *

To Be Continued…

* * *


	6. The Shadows 2

**Disclaimer: **I'm just borrowing the lovely Doctor and everything related to him… I have to give him back at midnight, if I don't he'll turn back into a pumpkin. Well, that's my theory anyway.

**Author's Note: **Rewrite! :D

**

* * *

**

**Doctor Who: The Shadows**

_Part 2_

_Rose felt a prod enter her back and continue through. With a sharp gasp she fell, loosing the Doctor's hand and calling out his name. The grass was soft and welcoming. _

"_Rose!" The Doctor spun around and fell on his knees beside her. She felt his hearts beating rapidly as he lifted her up and held her against him, finishing the final stretch. She shivered because her body had gone freezing cold. Numbness surrounded her and everything was blurring. The last she could focus on was the Doctor's face. He was looking down at her with an expression she hadn't seen before and… where those tears?_

_

* * *

_

The Doctor carried Rose to the TARDIS, he didn't look down at her until they were inside. When he gathered the courage to look he didn't like what he saw.

Her face had turned the colour of parchment; her eyes were slowly closing, and a bit of blood lay on her lips. He placed her on the floor of the ship and working quicker than he ever had, he set the TARDIS in motion.

He picked up his companion again and brought her to the Infirmary near the back of the TARIDS. All through the winding halls and staircases he never looked down, only strait ahead. In the Infirmary he studied her with a determined glint in his eyes.

She had been shot by one of those shadowed buffoons. A long arrow stuck out of her back between the shoulder blades. He quickly snipped off the sharp metal tip and removed it.

He healed her skin and turned her onto her back. Her face was still, and her eyes had closed. The Doctor checked for a heart beat, finding nothing. In desperation he tried to revive her… but nothing helped. She had left him.

He sat beside her, stroking her blond hair and trying, to no avail, to keep tears from coming. The Time Lord took a deep breath, he knew it had to happen someday, but it shouldn't have been today.

Today they should have been eating diner on Tibet, with champagne and gold-leaf covered dark chocolate cake for dessert. They should've been marveling at the solid gold formations, and drinking in the sweetest air in the universe.

"Rose, it's entirely my fault. I'm so, so sorry. This should've never happened." He swallowed, and with resign he kissed her gently on the forehead. His precious Rose, gone. She, like many before her, would become just another lost soul left lingering in the coral halls of the TARDIS.

He stood, and walked out of the Infirmary as if he was walking out of battle. At the door he turned to look at her one last time, still as a statue. He would take her back home. Tell Jackie what happened, and Pete and Tony as well. He'd take Jackie hitting him with her fists, or slapping him, yelling at him, ignoring him, or crying on him. With her you could never tell. What he couldn't take was the thinking, always knowing that it was his fault.

Tony may not understand, being so young. Pete would probably hate him for causing Jackie so much pain. All the same, he would walk back to the TARDIS, alone again. He wasn't sure he wanted another companion after Rose. Enough innocent people had been lost with him; he'd saved the worlds on his own before.

He walked straight out of the Infirmary and into the hall. He was hardly breathing and his hearts pounded in his head, but he would go on. The Doctor always would go on. After bringing Rose home for the final time he might go on to an old-fashioned Christmas. See some real snow for once.

* * *

*************

* * *

Rose's eyes shot open and she took a deep, shuddering breath, then another, slower one. The Doctor heard her stir from the hall. He ran as fast as he could back to the room, stopping just before the table, almost falling on top of her. Rose propped herself up on her arms then swung her legs over the side of the table.

"Rose! Are you alright?" The Doctor was flabbergasted at the least. He held her face and kissed her cheek, smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm not sure." She rubbed her arms and looked the Doctor in the eyes. After a moment she smiled too and hugged him tightly around the neck. "Was I really dead then?"

The Doctor gently pushed her off, and sat on the table next to her "You were. Wait, hold on a just a minute, how… how is that possible? How could you've just come back to life? I've never seen this before…" he paused for a long moment, and looked past her shoulder "Bad Wolf?" He said quizzically.

Rose turned around to see what he was staring at. Across the coral wall of the TARDIS Infirmary was written "Bad Wolf" in sweeping cursive letters.

"Bad Wolf. A warning? Well it's a little late for a warning." Rose said, but the Doctor hadn't been paying attention.

"Oh, brilliant, absolutely brilliant that's what you are Rose! It's not a warning, it's a clue!" He stood now, rather excited. "You sucked up all the energy in the Time Vortex, remember me telling you that? You're connected to the TARDIS, the vortex is a whisper in your DNA. Tiny little super-powered particles still moving about that don't know if they're a part of your or the TARDIS. After all this time, how could I be so thick! As long as the TARDIS is nearby, Rose Tyler…" He paused with a sly smile "you're slightly immortal."

"Slightly?" She realized that her one word sentence sounded daft after his breathless monologue.

"Well, yeah, no one's totally, completely immortal. Not even Jack. Everything turns to dust, but" Rose held up a hand to stop him

"Wait a tick, Jack, he's not completely immortal? You mean something could kill him."

The Doctor fidgeted. "Yes, well… no, but eventually he'll start to age and just keep getting older and older until he's the last of his kind, however un-recognizable or… disembodied." Rose starred at him in disbelief, not sure if he was kidding.

"Are you joshing me? You mean he's…"

"Well, billions of years will do strange things, but he's beside the point. I've never known anyone who absorbed the vortex, so I'm not sure how immortal you are really… so don't go testing your limits eh?" He commanded, she only smiled and jumped off the table to stand in front of him.

"Do I look like the kind of girl who'd go testing her limits?" She smiled and winked at him. They both knew she was that kind of girl. "So, what's for diner then?" They started back to the control room, hand in hand.

"Still want to see Tibet?" He flashed her a bright smile and she couldn't help but return it.

"Can I drive?" The Time Lord looked a little nervous, but he raised his eyebrows and turned to her with a wink.

"Not a chance."

"I'm going to have to learn sometime." She said softly. The Doctor winced a bit

"Suppose you will, no time like the present then. Just… don't break anything. And don't get us stuck in any black holes, and watch the time warps. On second though, I'll show you how to turn on Auto Pilot."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Alright, I like this idea much better than my last one. It's less susceptible to getting messed with by wibbly wobbly timey wimy stuff that just confuses and creates intricate paradoxes that could blow your head off your very shoulders. Plus, I don't much care for Jack Harkness. (Please don't hurt me!)

I also omitted the part about the Doctor dying before Rose, it'll still most likely come up at some point, but for now I just hinted to it in that Rose will someday have to fly the TARDIS on her own.

If you REALLY REALLY want to read the first version I'll send it to you. Just PM me :)

Oh…P.S. at this part "… his hearts pounded in his head." I was going to put in something about a Samba but I didn't want to make you laugh just then… it didn't seem right. :\ but now you can!


	7. The Key to Time 1

**Disclaimer: **I'm proud to say I own Racisinoph Shartonez, Tibet (well, this Tibet), Chite, the beautiful Krille Formations, and tunacicles. Sadly, what I do not own is Theta Sigma (see if any of the classic series fans know who I'm talking about.)

**Author's Note: **Yay! Another idea of mine that I'm some what fond of… I've been touched by the Weeping Angles and I'm inspired by Steven Moffat! Good old Steve… he writes the best stuff :D my only wish is that this becomes a tiny remnant of what his stories are!

* * *

**Doctor Who: The Key to Time**

_Part 1_

_

* * *

_

_TIBET, DATE 3/42/12034_

Bottles of rosy pink champagne lined a long table; at the foot of it a lanky man clad in a white shirt and black dress pants popped the cap of a bottle, sending cherry-coloured froth across the floor. The man's skin held a blue tint with a slight pearlescent shimmer around his eyes. The most remarkable thing about him was his irises; they had no pupils and looked like liquid gold.

He was the head waiter at Racisinoph Shartonez (Tibetan for Shinning Glass) a restaurant with a 360 view of Tibet's Golden Krille Formations. The restaurant's kitchen was held in a cylindrical pillar that jutted up through the center. At night the restaurant was lit by hundreds of candles that reflected off of the formations, giving the guests a fantastic glowing light show.

The center piece was a large, ornate, golden clock. Ever since its establishment in 1309 the clock had kept ticking, never losing time, always precise to the second… until that night.

The Racisinoph Shartonez was hosting the largest party of the year, Madame Gilda's election ceremony. Madame Gilda was, arguably, the most beautiful being in Tibet. Her skin held the smoothest shade of blue ever seen and her eyes contained rare flecks of silver. She was to be the next leader of Tibet. Born into royalty, her father left long ago and her mother had recently disappeared. There was no time for morning, Tibet needed a new ruler.

The party was a dazzling display of wealth. The ladies wore gowns made of silk spun from gold and the gentlemen classic "earth apparel", brown tuxes and blue suede shoes. (The party was Earth themed)

Desert was to be served at midnight, but no one would ever taste it. The moment the large golden clock struck 14.00, everything stopped.

* * *

_TIBET, DATE 20/5/12542 _

The Doctor stood behind Rose as she carefully twisted a little metal ball in its socket.

"No, no go back, you just went to the Tibetan Ice Age, trust me, it was not a pretty sight. Try this one." He tapped a Galifreyian number with a slim finger.

She brought the small sphere around until the pointer that was attached to it snapped into place on the groove. Then in one quick motion she pulled up on a lever and flipped a switch, he called it the shock-resistant vortex vacuum suction seal and atom stabilizing lock. Rose called it the parking brake.

"I did it then? Tibet? Right outside those doors?" She smiled as she looked back behind her.

"Well, why don't you go and see? Oh, and if we happen to be on a dark, cold planet with Vashta Nerada and an army chasing after us… don't leave the police box!" She laughed

"Like I'd make that mistake twice." She jogged off to the door, pausing for a second in front of it.

"I can't go out there like this. Isn't it fancy dress?" The Doctor tried not to roll his eyes, a suit worked for any planet, any time, any universe.

"You look fine, come on." But Rose wouldn't budge "Alright, but be quick about it. It's not like we've got all the time in the world…" Rose jogged happily off to the wardrobe.

She returned almost a half hour later in a chocolate brown ball gown. The Doctor smiled, that must've been the TARDIS's doing, he didn't remember having such a beautiful gown in the wardrobe. All women think alike.

"Lovely, now, allons-y. For all we know we could be balancing on a lightening rod." They hooked arms and exited the TARDIS.

Outside they were almost blinded by the bright gold formations. They were unlike anything Rose had ever seen. She peered out of the surrounding glass to see that they were solid structures, but the gold looked as if it was dancing. The sky was a cream color with a few grey wispy clouds, and nets of green vines wrapped around the gold.

The Doctor took note of where they parked, right in the middle of a restaurant. A posh one from the looks of it, just next to them sat a massive golden clock, just a little larger than the TARDIS. It held 20 hours with 30 minutes in between. Two elegant black spears came out from the middle. It had stopped on 14.00, midnight for this planet. The TARDIS made a protesting noise behind them, Rose jumped and the Doctor looked at it in slight alarm.

"She's not happy about being here…" The two turned their attention back to the restaurant and slowly walked forward, looking around to the other side of the clock.

They both had noticed that there was no sound at all, not a clinking of glasses or background music or conversation. It was completely still.

"Something's wrong." The Doctor said, "It's as if time's stopped, or else refuses to exist." Rose had peered around the clock and took in a shocked breath. The Time Lord hurried to her side to see. A crowd of people sat, exquisitely dressed, around a huge oval table. A waiter was on one side and in his hand a bottle of pink champagne that arced up like it had been frozen in mid-air.

The Doctor sighed, "I was ready for such a nice time, after all that. Sit back, watch the formations, drink some sparkly pink stuff…"

Rose grabbed a near by bottle of champagne, "Then why can't we? No one to disturb us, we can figure out what's going on after dessert."

He quickly took the bottle out of her hand and placed it back on the table, being sure to keep it exactly the way it was.

"We can't because," he dragged out the "because" as he stepped back to stair at the silent clock "everything here has been poisoned by time. It's been sitting here, stagnant, for, oh, roughly 500 years. Give or take."

"How can you tell how long it's been?" She asked, he just shrugged his shoulders and replied,

"Time Lord." He strode over to the waiter, a polite smile frozen on his face. They all looked as if they could move at any moment but just didn't care to. "The question is, why has it been so long since they moved?"

"There's no dust anywhere, why is that? If everything on this planet has been in deep freeze for 500 years there would be dust." The Time Lord was already scanning them with the sonic screwdriver.

"The air's different in Tibet than on Earth. Dust doesn't gather here because the air is always moving, it's electrified, so it never becomes stale." Rose went over to one of the statue-like creatures. As she got closer she began to hear something, a whisper.

"Doctor, can you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That!"

"What? I don't hear anything just tell m… oh… the Ood. Maybe immortality wasn't the only thing the TARDIS gave you." He said more to himself. The Doctor gently laid his fingers on the temples of one of the female guests.

_The key, somebody, where has the key gone!? _The lady's mind was shrieking but her lips held a laugh.

The Doctor's brow furrowed.

"Rose, what do you hear?"

"Something about a key… are they still thinking things? Are they still alive?" Rose asked, unconcerned with her new-found telepathy.

"Yes, they are still thinking, and no they're not alive, well, they're still alive but only just. It's almost as if, someone stopped them on purpose, not to kill, but to protect? Preserve? There's still a hint of a person in there but not a living person per-say. How could time be standing still for 500 years here and no one noticed? People travel to Tibet all the time, it's the number one vacation spot in the galaxy. Let's get to the root of it, I'll lock the TARDIS onto the last moving point in Tibet's time and we can watch what happened." He bounded up to the TARDIS and was at the controls before Rose even got in.

"Won't that make us freeze with them?"

The Doctor thought for a moment, "I doubt it. If we put the shields up and don't become a part of events then we should be safe. Just… don't touch anything." The TARDIS jerked violently and the rotor moaned as it slowly made its way up and down.

"Why is she doing that?" Rose asked from a safe position on the ground.

"There's no time in Tibet right now, it's just gone... kaput! There's just this little tiny bit of time for her to latch onto. It's like trying to drive down a road that doesn't exist." Finally the TARDIS stopped. A few sparks and some smoke came from the controls. The Doctor ran to the doors, helping Rose up in the process. He grabbed his coat and shrugged it on as he opened the door. The same restaurant, but it wasn't silent any longer.

Parts of conversations reach them from around the clock, which was now ticking brightly. Rose stepped further out to peer around the clock but the Doctor stopped her.

"Look at the clock," he whispered

"13.24, what's the problem?" She was looking at him now,

"Three hands." Now as Rose looked again she noticed another, shorter spear moving with the seconds.

* * *

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ok, I had no direction what so ever when I first wrote this… but now I kinda do, ish, I'm getting there. Keep your fingers crossed! Oh, and I hear reviewing is good for inspiration ^.^ Thank you!!!


	8. The Key to Time 2

**Disclaimer: **Do I sound like RTD? No. Ergo I am not the rightful owner of DW. These are always the most depressing parts of the stories…

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's taken so long :( this one's really short but I promise the next one will be longer and actually get us somewhere, this will just qench my inner thirst for fluff ^.^ . I've had this written for awhile, I just wasn't feeling it… so without further ado… Allonsy!

* * *

**Doctor Who: The Key to Time**

_Part 2_

_

* * *

_

"_Look at the clock," he whispered _

"_13.24, what's the problem?" She was looking at him now, _

"_Three hands." Now as Rose looked again she noticed another, shorter spear moving with the seconds. _

_********_

"I have a feeling, if we find out what happened to the clock we'll have a better idea of who, slash, what erased their time-line." With a charismatic flourish he removed his coat, laid it on the floor, and sat down, stretching long, pinstriped legs out in front of him and leaning back against the ancient wood of the TARDIS.

"Are you going to stand there and wait? Still six minutes till the clock stops, might as well get comfy, enjoy the music." He smiled brightly as he patted the floor beside him.

"What if the thing that stole the hands notices us?" The Doctor's eyes twinkled as he looked up at her to answer.

"Ah, but see? That's the brilliantness of this idea! We are officially in a co-occurring, capricious time line. The TARDIS couldn't find an organic one so it created a temporary one to reside in. The newly generated false time line is slightly unstable, and this one was created so close to the original tie line of this place that bits of the real one bled through. It can't contain much information and will eventually die out, so no side effects to the vortex. Problem is, with this temporary time line we can only exist here for about half an hour, good thing we only need six minutes." At seeing her slight confusion he sighed and told her the short version.

"To them," he nodded towards the wait staff and guests "we're not even here." He moved over a bit on his jacket to allow more room for Rose who, after a moment's hesitation, obligingly sat and waited.

She was reminded of the first time they were out together since his regeneration, and she thought back nostalgically on those precious days with him before their world was, literally, ripped apart.

She doubted he would dare to take his eyes off of the subject, he wouldn't miss this. So, assuming the clock wouldn't need two pairs of watchful eyes she chose to look at him.

He was so intently focused on the elaborately designed clock in front of them that she thought perhaps she had entered another time line and become invisible to him.

A flicker of sadness entered her mind for a second, they would never be able to focus solely on each other- they had a job to do. In a moment that sadness was gone though, with their hectic lives there would be no time for the kind of romance she had seen in telly programmes or read in books. He was a Time Lord, not her personal Romeo. She found that, in a heartbreaking way, she could accept that.

After a few seconds of her wandering thoughts the Doctor did something most surprising, he turned to gaze at her. Realizing he had been caught in the act he covered it.

"Do you do that often?" He asked, donning a high pitched voice and a look of immense surprise and confusion. Rose was taken aback, but how could she lie?

"Sometimes…" She said defensively as a blush colored her cheeks, but he smiled

"Quite right to," he smiled almost manically "I kind of like it." He winked and clicked his tongue flirtingly, making her let out a little laugh. She pointedly noticed his reluctance to turn back to the clock. 13.27, only a few more minutes. With an adoring smile Rose leaned her head on her Time Lord's shoulder and watched the faithful timepiece make its final stretch.

* * *

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ok, so some slightly important info in this one… but mostly a lot of Rose/10 "almost there" moments. In case you were wondering, I'm writing this as if Rose and the Doctor do love each other, and they know they do, but they're still a bit hesitant to take things further. Maybe by the end of this they'll have a family, maybe they'll both die in the "almost there" stage. One never knows…


	9. The Key to Time 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine, but you already knew that my clever little readers ^.^**

**Author's Note:** A great big thank you to all my amazing reviewers! I love you!! Sadly, this one isn't so up-beat. Imagine lots of sad little smiles and half-hearted laughs and injuries. I wish I could make this one happier :( bear with me here though… the end is in sight!

* * *

**Doctor Who: The Key to Time**

_Part 3_

_

* * *

_

_He winked and clicked his tongue flirtingly, making her let out a little laugh. She pointedly noticed his reluctance to turn back to the clock. 13.27, only a few more minutes. With an adoring smile Rose leaned her head on her Time Lord's shoulder and watched the faithful timepiece make its final stretch…_

_

* * *

_

Rose marveled at how the mood of the room was so normal, unaware of its impending end. They hadn't talked, her head still lolled against his shoulder and his chocolate eyes staring at the clock so hard she thought it may melt under his gaze.

13.29 o'clock, only one more minute before things started heating up.

The second hand was ticks away from the last mark when she straightened, staring at the clock perhaps even harder than the Time Lord was. She found the Doctor's hand and held it, his comforting touch diminishing a bit of the fear she felt… the entire room had changed. Everything around them grew darker, fading away like a watercolor painting that had been hosed down.

The Doctor jumped to his feet, helped Rose up, and put his coat back on in one fluid motion. The last hues of where they had been faded in front of them into a stone tunnel. Water ran down the sides, glistening from a central light fixture.

"What happened?" Rose asked in a voice that sounded calmer than she felt. With relief she noticed that the TARDIS had appeared beside them.

"I'm not sure, some sort of underground tunnel. Someone must have transported us here, which should be impossible. We've been taken out of the generated time line." He surveyed the tunnel for a moment then locked up the TARDIS. "Well, we can't find out what happened from here. Allons y!"

The pair walked hand-in-hand into the depths of the tunnel. Rose's dress dragged in the water that had collected at the bottom, making it stick uncomfortably around her ankles.

Debris lined the floor, sharp bits of metal and pieces of rusted pipe. Rose spotted a hefty, clean looking blade on the ground. Without any hesitation she picked it up and used it to rip off the soaked bottom part of the dress, accidentally taking off a bit more than she had planned. She smiled sheepishly at the Doctor who was staring at her in surprise.

"Heh, sorry… wet." She tried to laugh it off. The Time Lord rubbed the back of his neck and raised his eyebrows, looking anywhere but her legs which where bare to above the knee now.

"No, no, no, perfectly… fine-oh look! Turn up ahead…" he pointed to a sharp bend in the tunnel about forty meters away, turning his strict attention back to the tunnel as quick as possible. "Onward?" He nodded towards the turn, clearly a little distracted.

With determination he walked forward. Rose followed behind, dropping the knife and fabric scraps behind her and grinning like mad.

They walked, Rose slightly behind the Doctor, until they got to the bend. The tunnel continued for a couple meters before it opened into a larger room, the back wall was flocked with security screens.

Observing the monitors was one human-like creature. Each screen showed different parts of the Tibetan restaurant, the live video could have been a photograph though, nothing moved.

The thing whipped around when the Doctor and Rose walked in, the lighting in the room was dim but they could tell that it was human, or at least appeared to be human.

"Who are you?" The Time Lord said, loud and firm, but non-threateningly. This person hadn't harmed them and had brought them the TARDIS so they could escape if they wanted to.

"The one who has preserved Tibet and its rulers." The being said in a voice that sounded like it hadn't been heard by anyone for centuries.

"Why have you preserved them, were they in any danger?" Seeing that the thing definitely was not in the condition to harm them he relaxed some.

"Great danger, more than you could imagine. You were going to destroy my plan so I brought you here." It stepped closer to them, shedding light on its face. A Tibetan man. He was frail looking and his sapphire tint had been taken over by translucent white, but his eyes were still shimmering liquid gold.

"So you were just going to leave them there? For all eternity, like statues?" Rose piped in incredulously.

"Only until the danger passes! In 100 years Tibet will be cleansed of the destruction and I'll let them go, I promise, just give them 100 years." The Doctor's brow furrowed deeply. They had been to Tibet 500 years after the time line stopped, something else had happened here and things had not gone as planned.

"What's your name?" He asked calmly.

"Herotia Valda of the Forth family."

"The Forth family, what does he mean?" Rose whispered to the Doctor, he didn't take his eyes off of Herotia while he answered under his breath

"There are only four families in Tibet, the first being the royal family and the last the servants." He directed his words back to Herotia again. "How did you know about any danger?"

"I saw the horrible future in a great vision. I was told in the vision how to stop the destruction of my beloved city, so I obeyed. Then I came down here to watch, and be sure that travelers such as yourselves wouldn't interfere with the quarantine."

"Quarantine? What from?"

"Poison in the air. In my vision one of the Krille formations exploded, leaving deadly air that burned to breath. The whole planet was infected from the blast of one formation."

"A volcano…" he began talking more to Rose now "in our universe some of the formations had to be destroyed because of pests, humans found their way here around year 9020. Parts of the ship they used were made of wood and the wood was infested with termites. Once they got here the termites adapted and began feeding on gold. In our universe it was contained… but not in this universe. They chewed holes through the formations, heat from the core of Tibet began filling in the holes inside of the formation and, bam!" Both Rose and Herotia jumped at that but the Time Lord kept going "The formation combusts leaving flecks of molten gold-dust in the air, slowly killing off the Tibetans." Rose was right with him.

"So after 100 years the dust clears completely and Tibet is safe again. Herotia, how long has the planet been under quarantine now?" The Doctor was a little surprised that Rose had caught all of that. He slowly turned his attention away from her and on to Herotia.

"Almost ninety-eight. Soon Tibet will rise again…" he looked too fatigued to be happy but a large smile spread across his shimmering features.

Rose felt sorry for the poor thing, something must've gone horribly wrong with his plan, leaving the planet to wait in suspension for eternity. This would be an easy fix; the Doctor could hop in the TARDIS, take them to two years in the future and re-start Tibet. What could go wrong with something so simple? That was when they heard the footsteps.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor spun around quickly to see a human woman wearing 21st century clothes and wielding a large gun. She sent a bullet flying between Rose and Doctor before either could make a sound. Herotia fell to the ground behind them, clutching his arm in agony.

She turned her gun on Rose but the Doctor stepped in front of her and held up his hands. "Don't shoot. Who are you?" Rose could feel the anger radiating from him. "Why did you shoot him?"

The woman stepped into the room, the dim light allowed them to just make out her face. It was not the face of someone who could kill. Then she smirked, the single movement of her lips turned her face into such a sneer that Rose stepped back a bit.

"Still breathing Doctor? What a pity. After what you did to me I had hoped you weren't lying about the aspirin." Her face became soft again, angelic. "Oh and a new heart to break, hopefully I will have the pleasure of telling you who this man really is." She looked like a benevolent mother, offering houseguests a meal.

"Tell me who you are." The Doctor seethed. The newcomer's words chilled both of them to the bone. This companion had killed a parallel Doctor, and Rose felt sure she wanted to kill her Doctor.

"Oh, like you don't know." Her sneer had returned, "Our first date was here, and you don't even remember me. Rachel. Does the name ring any bells?" After a moment of silence she snorted

"You really don't remember me then. Maybe the aspirin did affect you. We travel together for seven years and then you leave me on the earth to die alone. It's a good thing I had some aspirin on hand for my migraines. When you told me you where dropping me I put it in your tea and figured that would be the end of it, the TARDIS would stay in the alley you parked in for eternity. Then I found that the box was missing so I tracked you down and now I've found you and your newest model. How delightful."

Rachel pulled out a device that look suspiciously like a sonic screwdriver and in seconds they were gone, leaving poor Herotia helpless, writhing in pain on the floor.

* * *

Rose was teleported into a holding cell with solid metal doors. She warily observed the cell. The door clicked a few times, like someone was unlocking it with a series of keys. Rachel walked in and greeted her with a kind face.

"Hello there, how was the trip?" She closed the door behind her and Rose heard it automatically lock.

"Where's the Doctor? What did you do with him?" Rose asked, close to shouting.

"Calm yourself, he's in the next cell. I just want to talk to you." With that, Rachel sat down crossed-legged on the floor and motioned for Rose to do the same. She stiffly obeyed, glad that the dress was still long enough to cover her knees if she sat properly. This was an interrogation, but Rachel's light expression made her feel like they were too friends sitting together at a slumber party.

"First thing's first, what's your name dear?" Rose was tempted to lie, but only out of spite. What did it matter if the woman knew her name?

"Rose."

"Rose, lovely name. Now tell me, do you love the Doctor, Rose?" If she said she did Rachel might use that against them, she would have to lie this time.

"We've only just met."

"Oh, don't bother lying to me. Things will turn out no better if you do. The truth will set you free." Rose grew cold, so she did know. Either that or she was an expert at reading people.

Rose nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Of course you do, and you think he loves you back. I'm sorry to tell you this Rose, I really am, but he doesn't." Rose knew that Rachel was full of it, so she only listened half-heartedly. Her eyes darted around the room, looking potential ways to escape.

"He is incapable of loving a human, he told me this himself. I thought he loved me to. We went to the most romantic places. He gave me my own sonic screwdriver, I slept in his bed most nights and we owned marriage licenses on 42 planets." Rachel paused to let a long silence come between them before softly continuing.

"If he could abandon me after that he can certainly leave someone like you." Rose tried desperately to block out her malicious words. This parallel Doctor loved someone else even more than her Doctor loved her. Yet still, he left her on earth for no apparent reason.

He left Rose once, left her all alone in this universe to be forgotten and replaced. He had left Sarah Jane, and she had a feeling countless other "assistants" before her. What if he had told every single one of them at one point or another that he loved them, and then just went away to save himself the trouble of watching them age.

"The Doctor wouldn't do that Rachel. He's not like that." Rose said as if she was repeating a mantra that meant nothing to her. She stared into space as her heart began to accept Rachel's words as the truth. Rachel moved closer to Rose and placed a light hand on her shoulder.

"Come with me Rose, leave him before he gets too close and breaks your heart as well. I can't travel through time, but with the upgrades I made to the sonic screwdriver I can teleport. We could have fun, no men around to spoil it with romance or 'love', just two brave, strong women saving the world. When you see him again, think about it. Imagine him and me as we where and tell me that you still love the alien." With those gruesome words, she disappeared.

Rose gawked at the air for a moment, dumb-founded by what she had just heard. She started when the cell door burst opened.

Two polished robotic guards had the Doctor held by his arms. Rose thought for one sickening moment that they were Cybermen, but when the light of the cell caught their faces, she saw that these looked nothing like the nightmarish robotic men of her past.

The Doctor looked weak, but stood up straight until the twin robots tossed him onto the ground in front of her.

He stood slowly once they had left and helped Rose off the ground. She detachedly noticed a cut along his left cheek accompanied by some slowly appearing bruises, almost finding it hard to care.

"Did they hurt you?" She asked quietly, knowing it was what she should say but not quite wanting to. She stood back from him, not looking in his eyes and wrapping her arms around herself tightly.

From the way Rose was acting the Doctor thought she had been in more danger than he was. "The guards were just a little rough, I'm fine, really. I think it's you we should be worried about..." He took her by the shoulders and bent down a bit to study her eyes, she still refused to look at him.

"What did she do to you?" He said, more to himself. Rose pulled away from his grasp and sat against the wall.

"Doesn't matter," She said, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her head on her knees.

The quickly recovering Time Lord cocked an eyebrow and looked her up and down suspiciously.

In the short time he was gone Rose had changed, and he knew that the woman, Rachel, had something to do with it. He put his anger towards Rachel for messing with Rose aside and, without showing any emotion, calmly joined her on the floor.

"Tell me what she did Rose. She said something to you and I'm going to find out what it was one way or another." Rose licked her dry lips and stared up at the ceiling, trying her hardest not to show any emotion either, but she was not as practiced.

"She told me about you-the parallel you-but I assume you two weren't that different." Then she stopped, not wanting to continue.

"What about me? What ever it was she was lying Rose, every word she said was a lie." He spoke through his teeth, trying very hard to keep from breaking out of the prison and confronting her himself.

"You loved her. Married on 40 something planets, heck, you even slept together. Then you just… left." Part of her knew it was not him, but how different could he be from his parallel self?

The Time Lord knew why her lies had hurt Rose like they did now. He sat in front of her on his knees and held her face, forcing her to look at him.

"Rose," he sounded almost pleading. He wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. "You know that it wasn't me. Think of your mum; was the Jackie Tyler of this planet anything like your mum? They looked the same and sounded the same, but they were two different people." He emphasized the last three words. "Don't you trust me more than that woman?"

The sad intensity of his brown eyes was lost in the shadows. However, Rose knew him enough to see it. After so many years apart and all that they had done for each other, she couldn't truly believe that he would leave her as Rachel had been left. Rachel had done something to alter her thoughts and that scared her.

Her Doctor moved to sit back against the wall again and pulled her into his arms. He brought her close and she felt his two heartbeats, which reminded her… when he could have easily deserted her, he chose not to. With glossy eyes she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry, I know. I know… but what she said, the parallel you, he did things with her that you'll never do with me." Even though Rose was back to herself again this sent a chill down his spine. Something had to be done to stop Rachel from persuading Rose that he didn't love her.

"Rose Tyler, there's only one way I can convince you…" Then the Time Lord did something he would only do for her. He whispered two Gallifreyian words in her ear and kissed her lightly on her cheek.

* * *

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Note:** All right, so you probably know what he said eh? Well, not the exact words but you know what they are. So, probably one or two more installments to come in this one, I really hope you liked my extra-long one. It was sitting here in my flash-drive half finished for a long time :P

Ok, and just because I have problems with people over using the word "love" in stories listen to my reasoning… notice the Doctor never once says it, also notice that Rose doesn't say it until Rachel puts the idea in her head, but once she's back with the Doctor it's removed from her vocabulary. Because, I like to keep the motif that the Doctor is never heard saying "I love you" I think it's good. :) Please tell me if you agree or disagree with my reasoning here… and why, if you want ^.^


	10. The Key to Time 4

**Disclaimer: **Oi, I didn't know until I looked at some of the classic episodes last night but, apparently I don't even own the "Key to Time" title… I thought I was being so original too :P

**Doctor Who: The Key to Time**

_Part 4_

_Something had to be done to stop Rachel from persuading Rose that he didn't love her._

"_Rose Tyler, there's only one way I can convince you…" Then the Time Lord did something he would only do for her. He whispered two Gallifreyian words in her ear and kissed her lightly on her cheek._

"What's it mean?" She asked as he leaned back. He knew he had some explaining to do. He ran a hand over his face thinking of how to tell her.

"Ok so, no one really believes that my real name is "The Doctor" right? It's just a title." Rose was getting a little excited by now.

"Yeah, I suppose I'd grown to accept it but go on…"

"Well, it's just so much easier than trying to teach everyone how to pronounce that name and they always say it wrong, the accent's entirely unique to the Gallifreyian language and it just sounds silly coming from a Londoner. Anyway, converting the spelling from Gallifreyian characters to English is a nightmare." He whittled off these facts at a million miles an hour.

"Doctor who…. No longer a mystery is it then? When was the last time someone called you by your name?" Rose sat up against the wall again, she had all but forgotten that they were being held captive. Now it was just her and the Doctor, like it used to be.

The Doctor seemed off-put by her question; he had obviously not expected her to say something like that. It took him a few moments of thought to come to an answer.

"A long time ago."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "That's it, so long you can't even give me a rough estimate."

"Hey, you wait 903 years then we'll see if you remember details. It was a while ago, let's leave it there."

"Thank you," Rose said, she looked down at her hands, which were absently fiddling with a piece of ripped taffeta. After a slight pause, she raised her eyes to his and saw her own smile reflected there.

"You, above anyone, deserve to know." The moment, hung preciously between them, was shattered when he jumped to his feet and began studying the room. "Now, outta this cell eh? Can't keep us cooped up too long. You might turn me into a domestic." He faked disgust and offered her a hand. She stuck her tongue out from between her teeth and let him lift her up.

"One more thing," Rose said. He was at the cell door in a flash, whipping out the sonic screwdriver and working at the multiple locks.

"Mm?" he hummed, too focused on the door to answer properly.

"903 years… when's 904?" At this, he stopped his work, turning a disbelieving eye on his companion.

"Birthdays? You're thinking about birthdays? Honestly…" and ignoring her question he rotated a dial on the screwdriver. Rose walked slowly up behind him, slipping her arms around his waist and standing on tiptoes to rest her chin on his shoulder.

"Oh come on, you won't be 903 forever." She smiled. He stopped again, unable to ignore her coaxing.

"Ohh, alright." He turned around and she let go of him, smirking happily that she had changed his mind.

"It was a month ago. I'm 904 and one month." Her smirk broke into a 100-watt grin.

"There that's not so bad. Back to it, sonic us out of here!" She winked and leaned against the wall next to the door. Eleven months to plan a party… that'd be enough.

Less than a minute later (exactly 48 seconds, in fact) the locks where broken. The Doctor reached into his infinite pockets and retrieved a stethoscope that he donned and placed against the door. Nothing. They made their escape.

Outside of the cell the hall ran in two directions, the Time Lord headed right but Rose stopped him, pointing in the other direction.

"I've had better luck with turning left." She winked and ran down the metal corridor. The Doctor, not about to question her judgment, followed.

"Rachel had a sonic screwdriver, the parallel me must've given it to her, I've no idea why he'd be that thick, but he did. Either parallel sonic screwdriver could teleport or Rachel has more information and skill than she should." He had caught up with Rose long before now and they were joined at the hands, walking quickly around bends and always turning left. He continued to talk, giving her as much information as he could. "That screwdriver is Time Lord technology… there's a very slight chance that a human could make an upgrade of that caliber to such a fine piece of craftsmanship. It's virtually indestructible, no batteries (unlike Captain Show-off's sonic gun), scratch resistant, and machine washable."

"Doctor," Rose said

"Alright so I made that last bit up… but if I'd wanted to I coul.."

"No," she interrupted him "you're getting off the point. What about Rachel? How does she have a teleport?"

"Right, yes, Rachel. Ah, there she is. Good idea, stick to the left." They stopped just in front of a curve. The metal of the corridor halted suddenly to become a soft cream carpet. It looked as if a 21st century living room had been smashed onto the end of a large, metal AC unit. Rachel sat, reclined on a couch watching the telly, she saw Rose and the Doctor appear and quickly shut it off.

"I was just about to visit my prisoners. You got out all on your own though, I don't even have to leave my seat. That's very convenient. Oh, and Rose, thought about my offer?"

"Yeah I did, and I think you've gone completely mad. I trust the Doctor, and you killed him." Rachel's face turned a bit colder.

"I didn't kill him obviously he's standing right there! Now come Rose, after what he's done, it's really for your own good." Rachel pulled a small gun from a pocket in her baggy jeans and aimed it at the Doctor. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled his eyes

"Fantastic, the former companion wields a tiny gun." He muttered in Rose's ear. Rose poked her tongue out at him with a sly smile before returning her attention to Rachel.

"Rachel, I'm sorry, really, but… your Doctor is dead. We're from a parallel universe where things are completely different." Rachel lowered the gun and Rose walked forward to talk to her. The Doctor was tempted to follow but, because of the heartless parallel Doctor, anything he said Rachel would take badly. "That's why he doesn't remember you. He never met you."

Rose was almost close enough to touch her. Rachel's features where softened by her confusion. Rachel snapped in the heavy silence that followed Rose's speech. Her eyes took on a look of blind hatred. Rose didn't see her raise the gun but the Doctor did, he grabbed the sonic screwdriver and pressed a button, hoping that it worked as he had planned. It did, but it was too slow.

The gun sent a bullet into Rose's shoulder and she collapsed on the ground. In the same second, Rachel and her living room disappeared to be replaced by the stone tunnel and the familiar shape of the TARDIS.

The Time Lord stashed the screwdriver and carefully helped Rose up, walking her into the Infirmary. Rose barely noticed the pain in her shoulder though, the Doctor couldn't teleport. This was a fact, so what had he just done?

Sensing her confusion, he smiled half-heartedly.

"Automatic updates. Installed last month as a birthday gift to me. My sonic found hers and learned how to teleport." Rose squinted up at him, half from confusion and half from pain.

"I thought teleportation was illegal."

"Course it is! That's why I'm blocking that particular feature right after we set things strait; we still have some unfinished business in Tibet." He winked at her and she couldn't help wondering if he meant un-freezing Tibet or finally breaking into a bottle of pink champagne. 

To Be Continued…

**Author's Note:** Alright, mystery of Tibet almost done, but what of Rachel? I think I can wrap this whole thing up in one last episode, it's been a good run though! ^.^ Now I just have to think of something new :P Please review my brilliantly wonderful readers!!


	11. The Key to Time 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't even own the sorrow that invades this piece. That sorrow is brought on by RTD because he CAN NEVER let the Doctor be happy! He must be a very sad person, putting all his anger out on our poor, poor, Doctor.

* * *

**Doctor Who: The Key to Time**

_Part 5_

* * *

_The gun sent a bullet into Rose's shoulder and she collapsed on the ground. In the same second, Rachel and her living room disappeared to be replaced by the stone tunnel and the familiar shape of the TARDIS. _

_The Time Lord stashed the screwdriver and carefully helped Rose up, walking her into the TARDIS. Rose barely noticed the pain in her shoulder though, the Doctor couldn't teleport. This was a fact, so what had he just done?_

_Sensing her confusion, he smiled half-heartedly. _

"_Automatic updates. Installed last month as a birthday gift to me. My sonic found hers and learned how to teleport." Rose squinted up at him, half from confusion and half from pain. _

"_I thought teleportation was illegal." _

"_Course it is! That's why I'm blocking that particular feature right after we set things strait; we still have some unfinished business in Tibet." He winked at her and she couldn't help wondering if he meant un-freezing Tibet or finally breaking into a bottle of pink champagne._

* * *

The Doctor lead Rose to the foam pilot seat, her shoulder tingled as it healed. Disgusted, she fingered the quarter-sized hole in the beautiful gown. A red blossom tie-died the entire upper left-hand side of the dress black, it had been ruined beyond repair.

Rose looked away from her depressing sight, noticing the Doctor's concerned eyes on her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, leaning against the consol. A dead-serious look of concern about him. Rose just smirked,

"Yeah, sure I'm fine," She said, and as if to prove it, shakily pulled down her collar to reveal the, now completely healed, skin. "It was just a little bullet, time to go save Tibet yeah?" Her smile became a bit more honest as she accepted the fact that she had just been shot.

With a weak smile, the Doctor grabbed her hand and the pair dashed out of the TARDIS.

They didn't speak as they raced up the corridor, passing the debris and scraps of fabric without a glance. When they reached the computer room they found Herotia crumpled into a moaning ball on the floor. His golden eyes glazed over as he slowly looked up at them, blinking in astonishment. He opened his mouth to speak but words seemed beyond him.

The Doctor slid quickly onto the floor next to him, followed by Rose who slowly went to her knees and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear to study him.

"Tell me where the key is, the hand of the clock. Where do you keep it?" The Time Lord was bent in very close to Herotia who squeezed his eyes shut tightly before he whispered.

"You disappeared in one place and reappeared in another. How?" His voice was coarse and barely audible. The Doctor glanced at Rose.

"It's only been a few seconds here…" he turned back to Herotia who still grasped his bleeding arm and clenched his teeth in agony.

"Can't you help him?" Rose asked.

The Doctor grabbed the sonic screwdriver and scanned him.

"Oh," The Doctor looked taken aback. "he's had a heart attack…. Didn't think Tibetans could have heart attacks." He pondered for a split second before remembering that there was a worried human and a pained Tibetan in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, there's nothing I can do. Even without Rachel this is probably what happened to him, his heart gave out before Tibet could be re-animated." With a violent shudder Herotia stilled. For the first time since they met him he looked peaceful.

The Doctor stood then, a blankness overcoming his features. Rose hesitated, she rested a hand on Heroshia's cheek. "Thank you" she whispered so that even she could barely hear. The Doctor's hand reached down for her and she let him help her up.

"The key, where would it be kept?" Rose asked, cleverly focusing on the task at hand.

"If you where hiding a house key, where would you put it?" The Doctor asked, his eyebrows raising slightly to shatter the thick mood.

"In a cheap plastic rock that you can stick in front of your door, right?" Rose laughed a bit,

"Precisely!" The Doctor said, smiling and jogging off to the corridor. Rose laughed even harder then, she, of course, had only been joking.

The Time Lord waltzed back in within seconds, holding a meter long clock hand.

"Big, plastic, rock?" Rose asked.

"Now, don't be frivolous. Did you see a rock coming in that could hold something this large? It was in a discarded pipe. Just another piece of metal. Now, if I can use the sonic screwdriver's updates to take us two years in the future and on the surface of Tibet it will be dark chocolate and golden cake for dessert!"

* * *

Rose and the Doctor took the TARDIS back with them, parking it out of sight. With a quick blast of the sonic screwdriver the clock was repaired and the party continued.

Madame Gilda was re-elected twenty-seven times before the government caught wise to her scheme to steal all of Tibet's funding and run away to Yitlus 4. The authorities unanimously resolved to impeach her (on Tibet it wasn't so much "impeaching" as it was "stoning-to-death" but impeachment sounds nicer).

The time-traveling pair decided that, although the formations were truly stunning, they would take their golden chocolate cake and pink champagne to-go.

"What's our next destination?" Rose cheerily asked the Doctor as she took a large bite of the deliciously rich cake. She tried to appear bustling with energy, but her façade wouldn't last long. She hadn't slept since the planets had begun to move and the energy she had used from over exhaustion and adrenaline was spent.

The Time Lord sat on the edge of the consol, slowly enjoying the cake and champagne.

"Any time, any place… how about an old-fashion Christmas? 1700's, or the 6's! We could visit the very first Christmas! I was much younger then, as a joke I brought a box of myrrh, common element of Raxicoricofalapatorius, unheard of on earth... until that night at least."

He laughed a bit to himself remembering the long-gone practical joke of his youth. He turned around to look at Rose who didn't reply. With a smile he found her asleep in the foam chair, her plate of cake forgotten and slipping out of hands. He caught it quickly before it hit the floor and set it down next to her.

"Almost forgot how much you humans need to sleep…" he said quietly. He picked her up and carried her dreaming form to his bed and laid her down. Or rather, he _tried _to lay her down.

Her hands had found their way to his collar and clung so hard to it that if he had peeled her off it would've ripped, leaving scraps of pin-striped material in her clenched hands. The Doctor stood over her awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do to get her off. With an odd twist he slipped off the jacket, leaving it tucked next to her in the bed.

Now that he was free he started towards the door, planning to mess with the TARDIS a bit, her engines were sounding rustier than usual. A quick check wouldn't hurt. And while he was working on it he could…. Rose moaned behind him. He gave her a quick look from the doorframe.

She had brought the suit jacket closer to her. He grinned at how possessively she grasped it. Then she whispered his name. He was taken aback. Surprised, not only because she had actually pronounced correctly, but because of the way she said it. He looked at her adoringly, wondering how, and why, he went such a long time without her. The Doctor hesitated, and it was the greatest mistake of his nine-hundred years.

After moment's hesitation, the Doctor _would've_ placed a kiss on her forehead and sat down beside his Rose. He _would've_ watched her sleeping form for hours. He _would've _forgotten about the TARDIS's rusty engine. He _would've_ fallen desperately in love with the human in his bed and never hesitate again.

But he didn't**.**

He _never_ would**.**

Because of a moment's hesitation**.**

__________________________________

**The End.**

_________________

**Author's Note:** Alright, not the end of everything, but definitely the end for Tibet and dear Herotia. The end, I am sorry to say, of golden chocolate cake. The end, of pink bubbles and shimmering blue water. For Rose and the Doctor, this is the last of bliss they will see for awhile. If only I could've let the Doctor sit next to Rose and fall madly in love. Why do I do this to me?!


	12. And You'd Stay 1

**Disclaimer: **Why yes, I own Doctor Who. The 10+ times that I told you I didn't before were all lies. I'm a billionaire living in Hawaii who owns 29 episodes of the classic series and 18 episodes of the new series of Doctor Who. I also have the original version of 4's 22-foot long scarf, 15 models used in the special effects of the original series, a working Dalek, a Cryberman suit, Russel T. Davies's tuopee, a TARDIS that is bigger on the _outside_ **and **David Tennant is tied to my dining room table leg (and he looks even better in real life folks!).

Aside, I also feel no shame in making up a false identity. You figure it out.

* * *

**Doctor Who: …And You'd Stay**

_Part 1_

* * *

_She had brought the suit jacket closer to her. He grinned at how possessively she grasped it. Then she whispered his name. He was taken aback. Surprised, not only because she had actually pronounced it correctly, but because of the way she said it. He looked at her adoringly, wondering how, and why, he went such a long time without her. The Doctor hesitated, and it was the greatest mistake of his nine-hundred years._

_After moment's hesitation, the Doctor _would've_ placed a kiss on her forehead and sat down beside his Rose. He _would've_ watched her sleeping form for hours. He _would've _forgotten about the TARDIS's rusty engine. He _would've_ fallen desperately in love with the human in his bed and never hesitate again. _

_But he didn't__**.**_

_He _never_ would__**.**_

_Because of a moment's hesitation__**.**_

He would probably never understand how everything could be so perfect, and in a second the universe could be ripped away from him. He watched his precious Rose asleep in his own bed.

For one moment he wished she wasn't there, he remembered why he was glad she wasn't with him. He was so used to loss; he selfishly thought that if he kept from loving those that were close to him, he would never have to deal with broken hearts. He hesitated before allowing himself to fall in love because, for the first time, he doubted that he was strong enough.

That second of indecision changed their lives forever. The TARDIS bucked and shivered. The Doctor lost his balance and was tossed about the hall. Rose woke with a terrified start and was thrown from the bed. She still desperately clung to the Time Lord's jacket, unconsciously drawing strength from its presence. The comforting coral walls became ghostly and cold as they flickered out of existence. With the Cloister bell dully chiming in their heads, the TARDIS landed.

The Doctor was so shocked that it was all he could do to crawl to where Rose was. He expected to find her rubbing her head sitting against the wall, still holding onto his suit. He stared at where she _should_ have been. The jacket was left crumpled on the floor. Without Rose Tyler's hands buried in it, it looked lifeless and limp. The Doctor's heart beats throbbed against his chest, feeling very much like the abandoned pinstriped material.

"Rose!" He called to the emptiness of the TARIDS who seemed to call with him. He didn't expect an answer, but he had to say her name to break the silence that surrounded him. "Rose…"

* * *

Rose Tyler woke to a bright blue-white light that blackened the room around her. She was on a stiff metal table, most likely some sort of infirmary or sick-bay. She judged that she was on a space-ship because she heard the low hum of engines, a skill picked up from the Doctor….. the Doctor!

"Doctor! Doctor?" Rose sat up immediately. Last she remembered she was eating cake in the TARDIS. When she bolted up she blocked the bright light so her eyes could adjust to the room she was being held in. She was right, defiantly some sort of sick-bay. All around her people lay in set-ups similar to hers, only they looked truly sick.

Rose's outburst brought about some currently un-wanted attention. A solid wall dematerialized into an opening which somebody walked through, then rematerialized behind them. Rose's pupils became used to the light and the thin frame of Rachel appeared.

"You two didn't get very far" She smiled with her benevolent, yet some how sinuous grin.

"You did. In space are we then?" Rose asked as she swung her legs over the side of the table. Rachel pushed her back onto her back gently.

"I wouldn't get up if I were you. You've had quite a hard time. With the Doctor dropping you off here and all." She made a mock-pitying face. "But don't you worry dear, I'm here to help! We'll get you a new identity and a new life back on earth. How would you like that? You could be a millionaire with anything you want. Or you could own a shop, find a husband, and settle down. It's your choice. Think of this place as…. A rehabilitation center."

Rose stared at her disbelievingly.

"The Doctor has _not_ left me. You took me here, and I'm going to find a way back to the TARDIS. You're insane." She mumbled and sat back up. Rachel "tsked" and shook her too-pretty head.

"In denial. Still, it'll pass. Everything does." With an un-checked burst of rage Rose slammed Rachel into the wall, jumped off the bed and ran for the door which, thankfully, was motion-censored. On the other side of the wall/door she found the engine room. Loud gears whirled at a million miles an hour around her and strange machines pumped out a rhythm to her left. Strait ahead a shaft opened from the ceiling with a ladder poking out. The shaft glowed light blue amongst the dark grey of the engine room, making it the easiest thing for her to run to.

She climbed the rungs just enough to peer into the next room. Computers filled it from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. Expect for the very back. Computer technicians worked, staring dead-eyed into the screens and typing codes. But these drones didn't interest Rose Tyler in the least. Because, chained against a wall, just a blue t-shirt and pin-striped pants on, was her Doctor. Doing what he did best in tight situations. Talking.

* * *

**To Be Continued….**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry, not much here… but I'll update quickly ;D I tried to be a good Word Smith and really paralleled paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 with the end of Doomsday AND the end of Jorney's End (hope you at least kinda-sorta see where I was going with that :\ )

Thank you SO much to elvispiratesandcowboysohmy for her fantasticalisciousness!! Please read her incredible drabbles "Stuff of Legend" They are brilliant! **This chapter is (officialy) dedicated to elispiratesandcowboysohmy!**

* * *


	13. And You'd Stay 2

**Disclaimer: **I know it's been awhile and any respectable Doctor Who fan would at least own a part of it by now… but sadly my dining room table leg still is not holding Mr. Tennant as it's prisoner. I do have good news though, Doctor Who's rightful owner is no longer RTD, but Moffat! See, disclaimers CAN be happy things :D

**Author's Note: **Ok, now I have to warn you that this one's kinda dark. We're talking two major deaths, and some nasty surprises, not to mention a lack of the customary humor. So trudge on dear readers. For you've made a promise to the Doctor through sickness and in health, till death do you part! (Which, surprisingly, may be in the far-off future of this fic. Again, you've been warned ;D)

**Doctor Who: …And You'd Stay**

_Part 2_

_

* * *

_

_She climbed the rungs just enough to peer into the next room. Computers filled it from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. Expect for the very back. Computer technicians worked, staring dead-eyed into the screens and typing codes. But these drones didn't interest Rose Tyler in the least. Because, chained against a wall, just a blue t-shirt and pin-striped pants on, was her Doctor. Doing what he did best in tight situations. Talking. _

_

* * *

_

Rachel burst through the double doors near where the Doctor was held captive. She was frazzled by her search, but quickly composed herself, seeing who was in the room. The love of her life and her ex. She smiled slyly in her love's direction and walked towards him. He was shrouded in shadow, the Doctor barely saw him, he only knew he was there by the sound of his calm breathing.

"Darling, have you seen the captive? She must be near by. Would you like a meal? Some water perhaps?" is what she would have said. Her plump red lips only got half-way through though. The Doctor saw the glint of a weapon and helplessly shouted "No!".

It was too late. The smile on Rachel's face barely had time to shrink as she dropped to the floor, already grey with death.

"Why did you kill her?" the Time Lord asked with a seething calm. He didn't like Rachel, but he didn't want her dead. After a few seconds, counted by the continued clicking of the white-coated workers, the figure finally spoke.

"She had been around to long. I had to let her go. You know how that is Doctor. You do it all the time." True anger emanated from him now, an involuntary chill went up his spine that was not left unseen by his company.

The shadowed man stood and walked regally into the light. The Doctor was barely surprised at who it was now, he recalled the voice, the mockingly care-free inflection that accompanied it, and most of all… the presence of the figure. At first he thought there were too people standing next to him, but he quickly worked it out. He had such an outstanding presence, because he had two hearts.

He gave the chained Doctor a crooked smile. "Knew that'd get to ya'" It was the Master.

***

Rose watched Rachel crumple to the ground, but she couldn't take anymore. Her Doctor was chained up and she needed him by her side. In a flood of bravery she searched the engine room. On her way in she had noticed a control panel, if she could pilot the TARDIS she could work her way around a spaceship. Upon reaching the panel she noticed something, it was almost exactly the same as the TARDIS.

Moments later she had her fingers on three switches- the auto-pilot, the stabilizer, and the main power. She flicked them, hoping she wouldn't kill them all. The ship blacked-out, Rose held onto the control panel with every bit of her strength as the ship spun a hundred revolutions per minute in the dark and jerked wildly off course. 10-9-8-7… she counted in her head 6-5-4-3-2-1. She fumbled with the switches, harder to turn off than on. Then it stopped. Light flooded the room and the stabilizers were working again.

Dizziness seized her, but she determinedly ran to the hatch and climbed into the room. Humans, keyboards, and white coats littered the ground, but she focused only on the man chained to the back of the room. She ran now, the dizziness clearing to see his surprised features.

"Hello Doctor." She said cheerily as she reached into his jacket, which was slumped on the ground beside him, and extracted the sonic screwdriver. His look was incredulous.

"Excuse me miss, I'm terribly sorry about this, time travel can be confusing, but I don't believe we have met yet." Rose's mouth dropped open. This wasn't even her Doctor.

"No… no we haven't." her words were soaked with disappointment. She half-heartedly set the sonic to 23b and snapped the chains off of him, not taking as much care as she would have if it had been her Doctor.

"Ah, but I see I trust you enough to teach you to use the screwdriver… and that black-out wouldn't have had anything to do with you would it?" He smiled as she replaced to screwdriver. She returned the smile with half its intensity.

"Just learning." The Doctor rubbed his wrists and slipped his jacket back on.

"So you know a future me… haven't regenerated have I? That'd be a shame, someone as cute as you deserves some of this." He winked and clicked his tongue just as her Doctor might have, of course, her Doctor would never say something to that effect.

"No, he looks just like you. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find him." She turned to walk off but he put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

"I didn't get to thank you love." He wrapped his long pin-striped arms around her waste and pulled her into a kiss. She imagined it was the Doctor. Her Doctor. Without thinking about who this Doctor really was she pulled him in closer until three heart beats rocked her ribcage. She would have suffocated herself if he hadn't torn her away.

"You're welcome" She said coldly. Maybe in the parallel universe there was no Jack Harkness so the Doctor got to absorb his flirtatiousness. Deciding that this wasn't particularly a bad thing but she'd like her Doctor back anyway she ran out of the double doors to find but.

Behind them the Master was slowly waking up, rubbing at the back of his skull. With a quick glance at the Master the Doctor followed after Rose.

"I know where he is! Stop!" She did. The Doctor landed just in front of her, converse screeching on the tiled hall-way floor. "I watched a heat-seeking x-ray that someone was monitoring. He's just up there." He pointed with his eyes, looking at the ceiling.

"Where are the closest stairs?" The Doctor pointed straight ahead to a dead-end with a small ladder blending into the wall. Without hesitation Rose sprinted to the ladder and scaled it, beating the Time Lord. When she got up a smile radiated from her. The TARDIS stood by the wall. She opened the door slowly, trying to stop the pounding in her ears. Her Doctor was, of all things, working on the sonic screwdriver. He looked up to see what had disturbed the peace. Putting down the sonic and grinning he lifted Rose into a long hug.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Backing up and checking her over quickly. The other Doctor stayed outside, not wanting to ruin any surprises for himself.

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor was back at work. "What if I told you I could go back and make sure this never happened?" He asked, still intent on his work.

"I'm not even sure what is happening." She confessed. "Who was the man who killed Rachel?" He paused and looked at her.

"Rachel's dead?"

"Yeah, someone else is behind this." On cue the TARDIS door was flung open, the Master stepped in, making a grand entrance.

"Hey! Look at this. Three of you. Well, they do say three's a crowd, so I suppose I did you a favor." He then reached down beside him, tugging something heavy into the TARDIS. The other Doctor. The Master dragged him onto the grill of the TARDIS, never once taking his eyes off of the pair. Rose winced to look at the Doctor; he still looked exactly like her Doctor, save the twin blossoms of blood on the chest of his suit. She found her Doctor's hand and he held hers tightly, trying to comfort her.

__________

**To Be Continued….**

__________

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading my lovelies! Please review! I really need your reviews to keep writing!!


	14. And You'd Stay 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't even own the box set guys… sorry to disappoint you.

* * *

**Doctor Who: …And You'd Stay**

_Part 3_

* * *

A current of emotions startled the Doctor just as much as the appearance of the Master. He remembered watching him die and refuse to regenerate, he had finally given up ever scrap of hope left inside his hearts that a Time Lord still traversed the stars. This was new though, a different world. A sliver of hope reached his thoughts, maybe. Maybe. But no. He wouldn't hope. In all his years he had learned that looking forward to something that may or may not come to you is dangerous. Better to deal with the loss of it immediately than to lose it again. Yet there the Master stood. The proof that Galifrey still existed? The sole survivor? The Doctor put on a mask, but he was too late this time. Rose was staring at him worriedly, squeezing his hand so tight his fingers toyed with the idea of breaking.

"Alright, let's hear it." The Doctor said, brushing aside his emotions.

"Hear what?"

"You know."

"I'd like to hear you say it Theta."

"Fine. What's your scheme Master?" He said the words with as much sarcasm as he could muster, which was a considerable amount. The Master smiled, leaned against the TARDIS controls and looked off to the corner of the TARDIS, as if he was looking through its walls and into the near future.

"The entire universe. Every little planet from the Moon of Poosh to Earth to Yufraties to the end of matter itself. Protected. Locked up. Balanced. Safe and comfortable. All because of the Time Lords," The Doctor's hearts raced. Yes. The Time Lords. "so, in order for any of my empire to begin I'm going to have to destroy them." He smiled brightly as if he had just told them he had tea brewing in the kitchen and asking 'one lump or two?'

"You can't do that." His rage barely stayed in check now.

"Oh, dear Doctor. I already killed one of you, now do yourself a favor and don't try to stop me." He began his long stride out of the TARDIS, but stopped. "Aw why not? Let's make it fun! One last battle before I end it all eh? Go ahead, try to stop me!" He laughed viciously and walked out the door, leaving the pair at a loss for words.

Minutes later Rose spoke, the Doctor's defeated eyes scared her more than the Master's lividly powerful ones.

"He doesn't know what he's dealing with. The stuff of legend remember? He doesn't know what he's dealing with…" She repeated quietly. The Doctor opened his mouth, about to try to convey his emotions, but when his eyes turned on hers they grew desperate, a look that sent chills of terror coursing through Rose. She reached out to touch his arm but he was too fast. He held her by the shoulders.

"We can both get away, make it so that this never happened to us. Let Gallifrey burn as it was intended to. We don't have to do this Rose." Rose shook her head. It was time for her to wield bravery like a heavy sword that she could now somehow lift.

"Now Doctor, you and I both know what we have to do yeah?" He smiled at his Rose halfheartedly.

"Yeah..." Rose had bested him. Her nerve was stronger than his at this point. The Doctor hated admitting it- but he was tired. It had gone on so long that he was growing weary of everything. Life itself. But not Rose... he needed her now. He fed off of her energy as if she were some sort of cosmic caffeine, no, he'd tried Cosmic Caffeine (nasty stuff with terrible after effects, but that's a later tale), Rose was more like hope or desire. He (metaphorically) squared his shoulders, took a large amount of Rose's ethereal hope, and grinned with a sudden endearment towards the whole messed up universe. "Alons-y!"

Author's note: Really am terribly sorry about my absence... I got behind? Oi... I have no excuse this has been typed up for awhile..... sorry everyone :\ please review still!P.S. In fact, between the time that I wrote this and now I have acquired the box set so I suppose I've lied to you as well. :(


End file.
